Storytelling apps

In September 2012 I attended a digital storytelling PD run by an Apple specialist. Here is a list of apps that we used or that were mentioned at that PD. Central to the approach was the concept of apps that can save to, and create from, the Camera Roll. This allows you to combine content from a number of different sources, e.g. photos, video, whiteboard apps, etc.
  • iMovie - with iMovie you can pull together a range of content into a short movie. It includes trailer templates which are time limited so great for making a quick story.
  • Pages - Pages is Apple's answer to Microsoft Word - it can be useful for creating a story sequence
  • Numbers - Numbers is Apple's answer to Excel. We did not use this on the day
  • Keynote - Keynote is Apple's answer to PowerPoint. Like PowerPoint, it has a number of transitions and animations that could be useful in a story
  • Garage Band - this allows you to create music for your movie
  • Explain Everything - a whiteboard app that can export to the Camera Roll, great for simple animations
  • Book Creator for iPad - if you want a more familiar format, and are working with younger children, this is a great app.
  • Skitch - lets you add captions etc. to photos in your Camera Roll
  • Puppet Pals HD - make stories with puppet characters
  • ToonTastic - built in storyboard to assist with animated story creation
  • Reader mode - not strictly an app, Reader is a way of viewing web pages from Safari (not available on all web sites) that is handy for copying text easily or for having the text read to you - look for the Reader icon at the right of the address bar, e.g. on Wikipedia.

Literacy apps


  • Play School Art maker - Free app - 175MB - make stories with slideshows, audio narration, and video
  • Write My Name by Injini - $4.49 - 156MB - trace upper and lower case letters
  • Starfall ABCs
  • Magnetic Alphabet
  • WS Free (like Boggle)
  • ABC Tracer
  • Kids Wordfind
  • Word Wizard
  • Montessori Crosswords

Numeracy apps

  • Number Lines (free)

Other lists of iPad apps